Introduction: How to Best Use Your Keepsake Journal

SECTION ONE:  Beginning My Journey
What I Think Is True About Birth /2
What Do I Need to Know or Learn About? /4
Where Am I Coming From? /5
What Is My Deepest Question? /6
Looking Into My Beliefs About Birth /10
Connecting With My Ancestors & Women /14
Pregnant Woman /16
Eating In Awareness /18
My Prenatal Care Diary /20
Being Pregnant /24
Family Photo Album /26
Seeing Myself as a Mother /28

SECTION TWO: Preparing For Birth As A Rite Of Passage
Making The Commitment to Live and Birth-in-Awareness /37
Mother Blessing /38
Making a Birth Bundle /41
Labor in a Circle of Love:  A Candle Prayer Circle /44

SECTION THREE:  Birth From The Mother's Perspective
My "Strongest" Image of Labor /52
Parent Know-How in Labor /54
Journey Through a Labor Landscape /56
Pushing My Baby Out /58
Birth Tiger Safari /60
Drawing On My Coping Skills /62
Embracing Unwished-for Surprises /64
A Letter to My Baby /66

SECTION FOUR: Birth From the Father's Perspective
My Dad /74
Seeing Myself as a Father /76
My "Strongest" Image of Birth /78
Connecting With Other Fathers /80
Notes on Labor & Birth Etiquette /82
A Pocketful of Encouragement /84
Birth Tiger Safari /86
Drawing on My Coping Skills /88
A Letter to My Baby /90

SECTION FIVE: Birth From the Baby's Perspective
Womb With a View /98
Lullabies /100
What Will Our Baby Look Like /102
Welcoming Our Baby /104
Where Did I Come From /106
Family Tree /108
Naming Our Baby /110
A Name Is Something to Sneeze At /112

SECTION SIX:  Birth From The Culture's Perspective
Birth in Our Culture /120
Choosing Our Birth Place /122
Creating a Birth Space That Will Help Me Open /124
Obstetrical Symbols /128
Getting Information & Making Decisions /130
Cartoon Role Plays /132
Having the Courage to Do the Next Best Thing /134

SECTION SEVEN: Building A Pain-Coping Mindset
How I Envision Labor Pain /144
Birthing Through Pain /146
Pain-Coping Practice Builds a Pain-Coping Mindset /148
Breath Awareness /149
Ovarian Breathing /152
Non-Focused Awareness /154
Finding The Center /156
Releasing the Natural Sounds of Labor /158
The Mindful Use of Narcotics or Other Drugs in Labor /160
What I Need to Find Out to Birth-in-Awareness /164
My New Image of Labor Pain /166

SECTION EIGHT: A Gentle Mindful Transition To Parenthood
Postpartum Expectations: Hers /176
Postpartum Expectations: His /178
Our Postpartum Transition Plan Worksheet /182
Follow Your Bliss /184
Postpartum Meal Angels /186
Nourishing Soothing Postpartum Baths /190
Postpartum Exercises /191
Look How You've Grown! /193
Am I Eating Enough? /194
What's For Dinner, Mom? /195
These Are a Few of My Favorite Things…About Feeding You /197
Introducing the Back-Up Bottle With Compassion /198
Avent Bottles /200
My Mommy and Daddy’s First Parent-Report Card /201
Birth Stories Workshop /203
Postpartum Adjustment /208
The Penny Game /212
Reflections On the Meaning of Marriage /214
Creating a Parent-Led Postpartum Support Group /222

SECTION NINE: Preserving Memories of Your Pregnancy & Birth
Highlight & Favorite Memories of Our Childbirth Classes /228
Our Birth Story /230
Our Baby's First Moments /236
A Treasured Moment of the Day Our Baby Was Born /238
Our Family & Friends' Memories of Our Birth /240
Announcing My "Birth" as a Parent /242
Your Parent-Birth Announcement /243
Drawing My Baby /244
Milestones & Memorable Moments /250
How We Celebrated Our Baby's First Birthday /264

Appendices
Appendix A: Looking At, Listening To, & Learning From My Birth Art /270
Appendix B: Creating a Space That Will Help Me Open /271
Appendix C: My Daily Mindfulness Practice-Journal /272
Appendix D: More Insights From the Penny Game /275

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